1984 - Planet eBook

usual, as though he were not pleased at being disturbed. Theterror that Winston already felt was suddenly shot throughby a streak of ordinary embarrassment. It seemed to himquite possible that he had simply made a stupid mistake.For what evidence had he in reality that O’Brien was anykind of political conspirator? Nothing but a flash of the eyesand a single equivocal remark: beyond that, only his ownsecret imaginings, founded on a dream. He could not evenfall back on the pretence that he had come to borrow thedictionary, because in that case Julia’s presence was impossibleto explain. As O’Brien passed the telescreen a thoughtseemed to strike him. He stopped, turned aside and presseda switch on the wall. There was a sharp snap. The voice hadstopped.Julia uttered a tiny sound, a sort of squeak of surprise.Even in the midst of his panic, Winston was too much takenaback to be able to hold his tongue.‘You can turn it off!’ he said.‘Yes,’ said O’Brien, ‘we can turn it off. We have that privilege.’He was opposite them now. His solid form toweredover the pair of them, and the expression on his face wasstill indecipherable. He was waiting, somewhat sternly, forWinston to speak, but about what? Even now it was quiteconceivable that he was simply a busy man wondering irritablywhy he had been interrupted. Nobody spoke. Afterthe stopping of the telescreen the room seemed deadly silent.The seconds marched past, enormous. With difficultyWinston continued to keep his eyes fixed on O’Brien’s. Then